Telephone booth



y 1941- F. s.'coRso' 2,248,810

I TELEPHONE BOOTH Filed Oct. 24, 1939 7 Sheefcs-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 1 F. S. CORSO A T TORNEV July 8, 1941. F. c oRso TELEPHONE BOOTH Filed Oct. 24, 1959 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY July 8, 1941.

F. 5. come TELEPHONE BOOTH I Filed Oct. '24, '1939 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 /N 15 N 70/? I-S. come A T TOPNE V v July 8, 1941.

Filed Oct; 24, 1939 'T'Sheets-Sheet 4 "rcc INVENTOA E 5. C 0/?5 0 ATTORNEY July 8, 1941. F. s. CORSO TELEPHONE BOOTH Filed Oct. 24, 1939 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 /N l/E N TOR E s. co/250 @1425 (ma X )4 T TORNE V July 8, 1941. F. 5. come 2.248.8 0

TELEPHONE BOOTH Filed Oct. 24, 1939 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 50 FIG. /2 A I: 'l a /4 I v m, I I r .)--64 I IP65 I l //v1 /vr0/?- By F.$.CORSO ATTORNEY Patented July 8, 1941 TELEPHONE BOOTH Frank S. Corso, Beechhurst, .N. Y., assignor to Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 24, 1939, Serial No. 300,916

12 Claims.

This invention relates to telephone booths and the object of the invention is the provision of a metallic booth which will be simple, durable, cheap to manufacture, easy to assemble and to take apart and wherein the acoustic properties of such a type of booth is substantially improved.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is an assembly view of the booth shown in perspective with its door folded inwardly of the booth;

Fig. 2 is a partial front view of the booth shown with the door of a casing disposed at the top of the booth in its open position so as to show substation telephone apparatus and a lighting fixture housed therein, the door of the telephone booth being shown folded outwardly of the booth;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the different wall sections in assembled relation;

Fig. 4 is a partial enlarged perspective viewof the encircled portion shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the booth shown with its door and that of the casing housing the telephone apparatus in the closed position;

Fig. 6. is cross-sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. '7 is a cross-sectional view taken on line of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a vertical enlarged sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of the frame of the booth showing a number of partswith portions cut away and the cooperating parts.

of the ceiling exploded, one of the side walls being shown in section.

Fig. 11 is a partial View of the casing at the top of the booth shown in cross-section, the light switch and its operating mechanism being shown in operated position;

Fig. 12 is a side view of Fig. 11 showing the manner of pivoting the door of the booth the bearings for the door being shown partly in section;

Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the door taken on line l3l3 of Fig. 5 shown enlarged;

Fig. 14 is a partial view of the door of the booth showing the mercury light switch controlled thereby-in its normal non-operated position and the door in its folded position inwardly of the booth, the door of th casing housing the telephone substation apparatus at the top of the telephone booth being shown in its closed position and in vertical section through the front of the booth.

Fig. 15 is a view similar to Fig. 14 but showing the door of the booth in its normal folded position and the mercury light switch in its operated position, the door of the casing being shown in Fig. 17 is aperspective view of the seat and its support.

According to the telephone booth of the invention, a base which consists of a substantially rectangular metallic plate Ill best seen in Fig. 10 is reinforced at its under-side by a plurality of steel stripsst along. its peripheral edges and by the diagonally disposed steel strips sit and st2, the strips st and stl, st2 being secured to the plate II] as by welding.

On to the upper disposed side of plate ill along its peripheral edges are welded the upright corner members cml, cm2, cm3 and cm4 and the U- shaped channel members :rl, $2 and 003 shown in Figs. 9 and 10. The side plates pl,.p2 of U- shaped channelxl are reinforced and held in spaced relation by upright spacer member sml, smZ and sm3 welded thereto while the side plates p3, p4 of U-shaped channel member x2 are reinforced and held in spaced relation by upright spacer members sm l, 81225 and sm6, and the side plates p5, p6, of U-shaped channel member 3:3 by upright spacer members sm'l, sm8 and sm9, the upright corner members cml, cm2, cm3 and cm4 and the inwardly disposed side plates pl, p3 and p6 of U-shaped channel members :rl, 0:2 and r3 being provided with series of registering holes H and HA, provided for a purpose which will be hereinafter described in detail.

Corner posts l4, l5, l6 and I1 shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5, 9 and 10 of metallic. strips bent along their lengths to form a plurality of angle portions da and do! and an octagonal portion ac best seen in Fig; 10. The adjacent sides of angle portions do and (M2 are provided with screw threaded holes as B registering with holes H and HA in upright corner members cml; cm2 and in plates pl, 103" and 106 for receiving screws for Se u g the corner posts to the plates pl, 103 and p6, and to the upright corner member cml, cmZ, cm3, and cmd collectively.

The spacer members sml, 'smZ, sm3, sm, etc., as shown in Figs. 8 and 10 extend to a point a short distance below the longitudinal top edges of plates pl, 123 and p6 and serve as rests for the two side walls and the rear wall of the booth. Each 'of these walls, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, consists of a plurality of sheet metal box-like sections 1), bl, b0 and bol. The box-like sections b and bI interfit into a common box cover member I8 while the box-like sections b and boI interengage with a common box cover member I9. the cover member I8 in turn having its upper disposed side fitted into a space provided between the box-like section 170 and the lower disposed side of cover member I9 as shown in Fig. 4.

The box-like sections MI and b0 cooperate with their common cover member I9 to form containers for housing pads as of soundinsulating material such as rock wool lined with flannel wrapping 2I, while the box sections 1) and bl cooperate with their common cover box member I8 to form a housing for pads of corrugated paper sheets as 22, shown in Fig. 4, the box sections 120 and MI of each wall being apertured for permitting the sound waves reaching the sound-absorbing material 20.

The sides and rear walls of the booth thus formed are held in assembled relation on the top end of the supporting upright members smI, sm2, sm3, sm4, sm5, smfi, sml, etc and against the opposite edges of corner posts I4, I5, I 6 and I1 and between their respective plates pl, p2 of U-shaped channel member a: between the plates p3, p4 of. U-shaped channel member 202 and between plates p5, p6 of U-shaped member :23 by similar angle pieces such as 23, 24, 25 and 26, shown in Figs. 1, 2, 7, 8, 9 and 10 bolted to their respective corner posts-I4, I5, I6 and I1. corner posts are held in assembled relation at their upper ends by metallic channel-shaped spacer members, such as 27, 28 and 29 secured at their ends as by screws 30, shown in Figs. 8 and 10 to the corner posts I4, I5, I6 and I! while plates as 3|, 32 and 33 are welded to their respective channel-shaped spacer members 21, 28 and 29 to serve as backing for the booth walls at their upper ends. The metallic channelshaped spacer members 21, 28 and 29 are provided with downwardly extending arms as 35, 36, 31 and 39, shown in Figs. 6, 8 and 10 provided for securing an apertured metallic plate forming the ceiling of the booth. This plate is of such dimensions as to provide a certain amount of clearance 1 shown in Fig. 8, between the side walls and the rear walls of the booths and its peripheral edges for a purpose which will be hereinafter described in detail. The ceiling 40 in cooperation with a rim 4I forms a container for receiving the cloth wrapping 42 and the sound-absorbing material 43 which like the walls may be rock wool, or other similar sound-absorbing material.

The front edge of ceiling, or plate, 40 is supported by attachment to the under-side of a metallic casing, best seen in Figs. 8, 10 and 11, of substantially triangular cross-section provided for housing a lighting fixture LF, its controlling switch cw and the telephone substation apparatus, shown in Fig. 2. This casing is formed with a flat roof portion I 00, an L-shaped portion IOI extending downwardly at right angles relative to roof portion I 00, diagonal portion I 02, the portion I03 formed with a guideway 53 and the upwardly turned ridge I04, the portion I00 and its cooperating portions IOI, I02, I03 and I04 are held in their proper bent relation by side flange members I05 and I08 secured as by welding at points a, (II and a2 and a partitioning flange I01 which cooperates with flange I06 to form a compartment for housing the lighting fixture LF and its supporting plate SP, shown in Figs. 8 and 10, flange member I87 being secured to the casing portion I00 and to its cooperating portions IOI,

These all) I02, etc. as by welding at points 11 and dI while spacer members or brackets I08 and I09 serve as supports for mounting the telephone substation apparatus above mentioned.

The top disposed side I00 of the casing forms in cooperation with a plate 21b a roof for the booth. The plate 21b is provided with a plurality of openings op as shown in Fig. 10, to serve in cooperation with the clearance y and path leading to the interior of the booth. The plate portion I00 of the casing and the plate 211) are secured to the channel-shaped spacer members 21, 28 and 29 by screws scs and along their overlapping edges by screws scI, shown in Fig. 8. To the front disposed edge of plate I00 is pivoted as on hinges h, and M, a door normally secured in the closed position, as shown in Fig. 5, by a number of latches 5I engaging the upturned ridge I04 of the casing as shown in Fig. 11. Door 50, as shown in Figs, 2 and 10, is provided with a latch element LT engaging the bar LTI for holding it in the open position. This door carries a block I I0 engaging a rectangularly shaped notch 11, in the portions I03 and ridge I04 of the casing for permitting the disengagement of a slider member 55 attached to the booth entrance door, from the guideway 53, as shown in Figs. 2 and 8, subsequent to the opening of the door 50 whenever the outward opening of the entrance door of the booth is required as, for instance, in an emergency due to the door becom-, ing jammed with an occupant in the booth.

This entrance door, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 7, is formed of folding sections 59 and 59 each in the form of a sheet metal frame, the adjacent sides of which are pivoted to each other as by hinge 82. The door sections 58 and 59 are provided with rectangularly shaped openings for receiving the glass plates 83 and 84 secured therein by the clamping action of molding strips 85, 86, 81 and 88 for the glass plate 83 and molding strips 89, 90, 9I and 92 for the glass plate 84, the molding strips 85, 06, 81 and 88, 89 and90, etc., are held securely to the ,door sections 58 and 59 by a plurality of screws as $10, shown in Fig. 13, threadedly engaging their respective frame, while rubber strips such as 93 and 94 are placed around the edges of the glass plates 83 and 84 to form yielding joints between the frames forming the door sections 58 and 59 and the glass plates 83 and 84 and their clamping molding strips 85, 86, 81 and 88 and 89. 90, 9I and 92.

Door section 59, as shown in Figs. 8, 9, 12 and 13, is pivotally mounted adjacent the corner post I 4 on an end-thrust bearing in the form of a ball 60 placed between the conical recessed bearing elements BI and B2, bearing element GI being supported by a bracket 63 secured to the upright corner member cmI and corner post I4 as by screws 64 and 65 threading into member cml, while the bearing element 82 is carried by an arm 66 laterally extending from the frame of door section 59 and welded thereto.

To door section 59 at its upper disposed end is welded an arm 61 best seen in Fig. 12 extending laterally therefrom for mounting a spindle 68 rotatably engaging a bushing 69 in a block member I0 secured to the wall portion I03 of the casing'as by screws II and 12. The spindle B8 is provided with an extension I3 of reduced diameter provided for mounting a collar I4 carrying an eccentrically disposed pin I5, the free end of which engages the under-side of a camming plate I6 pivotally mounted on a bracket 1! in turn secured to the side flange I06 of the casing.

Camming plate I5 best seen in Figs. 11, 12, 14,15 and 16 is formed with a base portion I9 which serves for mounting a mercury switch cw provided for controlling the operation of the lighting fixture LF and that of a fan 8|, shown in Figs; 1, 2 and 8 upon the inwardly folding and unfolding of doorsections'58 and 59.

Onthe metallic plate ID of the base is fitteda rubber floor-RF having portions extending upwardly against the side plates pl, 103 and p6 of U-shaped channel member :BI, x2, and x3, where theyare secured as by metallic moldings sm and screws scr' engaging the threaded'holes scrl in side plates pI, p3'and 106, this floor being held at its front edge to the plate I8 by a treadpiece ta, shown in Fig. 1, in turn secured to the plate I by a number of screws srcw.

To the rearright corner of the telephone booth is secured shelf I I4, shown in Fig. 7, formed with a bracketII5 provided for supporting the telephone apparatus in the form of a coin collector box IIB while in the plane of the ceiling in the rear right corner of the telephone booth and in superposed relation-to the telephone is secured a bracket apparatus II'I, shown in Fig. 6. serving for supporting a fan 8I, shown in Fig, 2, and used for the ventilation of thebooth, the. air entering the booth from openings on in the roof 2'") and passing through the clearance y between the wallsof the booth and the peripheral edge of the ceiling and exhausting through an opening formed between the lower edgeof door sections 58 and 59 and the tread-piece ta at the entrance of the booth.

Similarly, to the rear left corner I6 of the booth is secured as by welding the reinforcing bars I30 and- I3I, shown in Figs. 10 and 17 to which a frame for the seat I58 of the booth is secured as by a plurality of screws I33, I34 and I35, such frame consisting of the corner-piece I36, the tubing I31 welded at its lower end to the corner-piece I36and to the under-side of a restpiece I38 to which the seat I58 is secured as by a number of screws I5I and I52, while a hood member I39 is fitted over the tubing support I 31 and is'secured to the corner member I36 Joya number of screws engaging the hole I48 in hood member I38 and the threaded hole MI in thecorner-piece I36, a-bracket I42 which is secured to the-right side wall of the booth being provided as an additional support for the seat.

To the portion I83, shown in Figs. 8 and 11,

in the compartment formed by side flange I 06' and the partitions IG'I is mounted a frame I60 for the inverted glass dome I6I disposed in juxtaposition to the lamp I82 of the lighting fixture. This frame is pivoted as by lugs I63 and I64 shown in Fig. 11 engagingslots as I55 and I 66 while springs I61 and IE8 yieldably hold the frame I68 in its normal closed position where it may be locked by a screw I69.

According I to the invention, the unfolding movement of-the door sections 58 and 59 from the position shown 'in Fig. 14 to the position shown in Fig. 15, the rotation of spindle I3 and that of crank pin I5 against the camming plate I6 is effective to move the mercury switch cw in a horizontal position for establishing electrical connection' withv the electrodes connecting with thewires I10 and I'll, thus causing the operation of the lighting fixture and that of the fan ill for lighting and ventilating the booth simultaneously while a manually operated switch I12 is provided for controlling the operation of the. fan independently of the lighting fixture.

It is understood that minor. changesmay be madeto the invention-without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A telephone booth comprising: a substantially rectangular shaped base, two side walls and a rear wall, a plurality of corner posts secured at their lower ends .to projections carried by said base, means for securely holding said corner posts in spaced relation at their upper ends, means for securing said wallsin assembled relation to each other and in relation to said corner posts, an apertured ceiling for said booth, a plurality of brackets carried by said first-mentioned securing means for supporting said ceiling, said ceiling having a peripherally disposed upwardly extending rim forming a container, sound-absorbing material in said container, and a roof for said booth secured to said first-mentioned means and disposed adjacent the edge of said rim.

2. A telephone booth comprising'a base, two side walls and a rear wall, U-shaped channel members secured to said base, spacer members secured to the inwardly disposed sides of said channel members for reinforcing them and serving as rests for said walls, one side of each of said channel members serving as kick plates at the interior of the booth, said base having upright corner members, corner posts, means for securing said corner posts to said upright members and said channel members collectively, spacermembers having their ends secured to said corner posts for holding the latter in assembled relation at their upper ends, said base, said corner posts and said spacer members forming a frame of unit structure, means for securing said walls in assembled'relation on said cor-' ner posts, a ceiling, and a roof for said booth supported by said spacer members.

3. A telephone-booth comprising a base, two side walls and a rear wall, c'orner posts, means for securing the lower disposed endsof said corner posts to said base for holding them in assembled relation to each other, spacer members securedto said corner posts for holding them in spaced relation at their upper ends, a

ceiling, a plurality of brackets secured to'said' spacer members for supporting said ceiling, a triangularly' shaped casing having a longitudinal edge resting onthe adjacent edge of said ceiling, said casing having'a side forming a portion" of said ceiling and a roof portion, said roof portion resting on said spacer members, and a metallic plate resting-on said spacer member forming the complemental portion of said roof.

4. A telephone booth comprising a base, two side walls and a rear wall, a plurality of corner posts secured at their lower ends to projections carried by said base, means for securely holding said corner posts'in spaced relation at their upper ends, means for securing said walls in assembled relation-to each other and in relation to said corner posts, a perforated plate forming a ceiling, a plurality of brackets carried by said securing means for supporting said ceiling, said ceiling having a peripheral upwardlyextending rim and apertured bottom plateforming a container, sound-absorbing material in said container, a rooffor saidbooth, a casing'supported by said corner posts, the sidesof said casing forming respectively a portion of the ceiling, a portion of the roof and the front wallof said booth.

A telephone booth comprising two side walls and a rear wall, a base, a plurality of securing means for holding each of said walls in assembled relation to said base, a ceiling and a roof supported by said securing means and extending partially over the area of said booth, two of said securing means forming the entrance of the booth, a casing supported by two of said securing means and secured to said ceiling and to said roof, said casing forming the complement portions of said ceiling and said roof and having one of its sides forming the front wall at the top end of the booth, a lighting fixture and telephone substation apparatus housed in said casing, a door hinged to said casing for giving access to said fixture and said apparatus from the front side of said booth.

6. A telephone booth comprising a base, two side Walls and a rear Wall, a plurality of corner posts, upright members carried by said base for securing said corner posts thereto, means cooperating with said corner posts for holding each of said walls in assembled relation on said base, a ceiling and a roof for said booth, a plurality of spacer members secured to said corner posts at their upper ends for holding them in spaced relation to each other, means for securing said ceiling and said roof to said spacer members, two of said corner posts forming the entrance of the booth, a casing supported by the last-mentioned corner posts and having end portions bearing against two oppositely disposed spacer members,

means for securing said casing to the last-men tioned spacer members, said casing having a door forming the front wall of said booth, a door of folding sections for said booth, a bracket carried by one of the last-mentioned corner posts an end-thrust bearing carried by said bracket for pivoting one of said door sections to one of the last-mentioned corner posts, a bearing secured to said casing, a spindle carried by said door section rotatably engaging said bearing, a crank secured at the end of said spindle, a lighting fixture and a switch in said casing, a camming element disposed in engageable relation with said crank for imparting movement to said switch for con-trolling the operation of said lighting fixture upon the operation of said door sections.

'7. A telephone booth comprising a base, two side walls and a rear wall, upright members carried by said base, corner posts secured to said upright members, a ceiling, a roof and a casing mounted on said corner posts, a door consisting of folding sections for said booth, one of said sections being hinged to one of said corner posts, said casing having a door forming the front wall of the booth, a guideway formed with said casing, a sliding member carried by the other section of said door and engaging said guideway for controlling the folding movement of said door sections, a block carried by the door of said casing normally holding said slider in position in said guideway upon the unfolding of said door sections whereby the opening of said casing door permits the disengaging of said slid-er from said guideway for folding the booth door outwardly of said booth.

8. A telephone booth comprising two side walls and a rear wall, a base, a plurality of securing means for holding each of said walls in assembled relation to said base, a ceiling and a roof extending partially over the area of said booth, two of said securing means forming the entrance of the booth, a casing supported by two of said securing means, a lighting fixture and electrical apparatus in said casing, a door hinged at the front disposed side of said casing, permitting access to said lighting fixture and said apparatus from the exterior of said booth, a door for said booth for-med of folding sections, one of said sections being pivoted to one of the last-mentioned securing means and to said casing, a slider member carried by the other folding door section and a guideway formed with said casing for controlling the movement of said folding door sections.

9. A telephone booth, a base comprising a metallic plate, upright members secured to said plate, U-shaped channel members secured to said plate and spacer members disposed vertically in said channel members and secured to the inner and outer disposed sides of said channel members for reinforcing them said spacer members serving as bearing points for the walls of said booth and the inner disposed sides of said channel members serving as kick plates for said walls.

10. In a telephone booth, a base, said base comprising a substantially rectangularly shaped plate, upright members secured at each corner of said plate, U-shaped channel members secured to said plate adjacent the peripheral edges thereof, a plurality of spacer members secured to said channel members for reinforcing the sides thereof, corner posts having portions registering with the geometrical cross-section of said upright members and having portions overlapping the adjacent ends of the outwardly disposed sides of said channel members, and means for securing said corner posts to said upright members and to the inner sides of said U-shaped channel members collectively.

11. A telephone booth having a base, corner posts secured to said base two sidewalls and a rear wall, a ceiling and a roof supported by means secured to said corner posts, each of said walls comprising a plurality of apertured plates bent to form box-like sections, other plates bent to form cover sections, said box-like sections cooperating'with said cover sections to form containers, sound-absorbing material in said containers, means for securing said walls to said corner posts, an apertured plate forming a celling for said booth, said plates having a peripheral rim forming an open container spaced from said roof, and sound-absorbing material in said container.

'12. A telephone -booth comprising a base, two side walls and a rear wall, a plurality of corner posts secured at their lower ends to securing elements carried by said base, means for securely holding said corner posts in spaced relation at their upper ends, each of said walls comprising a plurality of apertured plates forming box-like sections and cover sections, said box-like sections cooperating with said cover sections to form a plurality of containers, means for securing said walls in assembled relation to each other and in relation to said corner posts, a perforated plate forming a ceiling, a plurality of brackets carried by said securing means for supporting said ceiling, said ceiling having a peripheral upwardly extending rim forming a container, sound-absorbing material in containers formed by said boxlike sections and cover sections and in the lastmentioned container, and a roof for said booth secured to the first-mentioned means.

FRANK S. CORSO. 

